One Book, Charleston County Project

The Charleston County Public Library will host a community-wide reading project in Charleston County in September 2011 in partnership with the Avery Research Center at the College of Charleston, the Lowcountry Rice Project, and the City Paper. The “One Book, Charleston County” project will use the novel Daughters of the Dust by Julie Dash to encourage community members to come together to discuss the themes of family bonds, racial inequality, and civil and human rights.  A variety of public events will be offered throughout September 2011, including book discussions, lectures, film screenings, an exhibit, and a community festival. SC Humanities supported this project through a Mini Grant in July 2011.

The Charleston County Public Library will distribute 4,000 copies of Daughters of the Dust free to interested community participants starting in late August  2011. Funding for books provided from the estate of Sue Metzger. Check with a local Charleston County Public Library branch to find out how to obtain one. Set in the 1920s on a South Carolina sea island, Daughters of the Dust explores the journey of a young woman's return to her family and her Gullah roots. Author and filmmaker Julie Dash and other humanities scholars will participate in the wide variety of public programs offered during the community read, including:

Tuesday, September 6, 2011 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Book Discussion of Daughters of the Dust
Mt. Pleasant Regional Library
1133 Mathis Ferry Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-849-6161

Thursday, September 8, 2011 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Book Discussion of Daughters of the Dust
Edisto Branch Library
1589 Highway 174, Edisto Island, SC 29438
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-869-2355

Thursday, September 8, 2011 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Book Discussion of Daughters of the Dust
Laura Harris, morning co-anchor for ABC News 4’s Good Morning Charleston and co-host of Lowcountry Live, will lead this book discussion.
Otranto Regional Library
2261 Otranto Road, North Charleston, SC 29406
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-869-2355

Tuesday, September 13, 2011 | 6:30 p.m.
Film: Meet the Filmmaker and Watch the Film Classic, Daughters of the Dust
Trident Technical College Center Complex for Economic Development
7000 Rivers Avenue
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-574-6111

Wednesday, September 14, 2011 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Book Discussion of Daughters of the Dust
James Island Branch Library
1248 Camp Road, Charleston, SC 29412
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-795-6679

Thursday, September 15, 2011 | 6:00 p.m.
A Conversation about Gullah-Geechee Culture
Featuring Julie Dash, Dr. Patricia Williams Lessane, Deona Smith, and Jonathan Green
Question & Answer session to follow discussion
Charleston County Public Library, 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-805-6930

September 15 – 17, 2011
“We Carry These Memories Inside of We” Conference
Sponsored by the Avery Research Center at the College of Charleston
Registration Required
Info: http://avery.cofc.edu/daughters/

Saturday, September 17, 2011 | 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Gullah Community Festival
The event will feature performances by the Magnolia Singers and the Plantation Singers; Gullah storytelling with Veronica Gaillard and Sharon Cooper-Murray, basket weaving demonstrations with Henrietta Snype as well as a screening of the film Daughters of the Dust introduced by Julie Dash at 7:00 p.m.
Hampton Park, Charleston, SC 29403
Free and open to the public; area residents are encouraged to bring a blanket and picnic to enjoy the evening
Info: 843-805-6930

Monday, September 19, 2011 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Book Discussion of Daughters of the Dust
Cooper River Memorial Library
3503 Rivers Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-744-2489

Monday, September 19 | 6:00 p.m.
Midwifery Traditions in the South Carolina Lowcountry
Pregnancy and birth form important themes in Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust. Hear a panel of experts discuss the role midwives played in childbirth in the African-American community from the time of slavery to the present. Among the experts will be Dr. Ida Spruill, assistant professor at MUSC’s College of Nursing.
Charleston County Public Library, 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-805-6930

Tuesday, September 20, 2011 | 6:30 p.m.
Daughters of the Dust: From Idea to Film
Join Julie Dash as she speaks on being an independent filmmaker, the journey she took creating the film, and her fascination for the Lowcountry that was her inspiration
John L. Dart Library
1067 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-722-7550

Tuesday, September 20, 2011 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Book Discussion of Daughters of the Dust
Charleston County Public Library – Main Branch
68 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-805-6930

Wednesday, September 21, 2011 | 6:00 p.m.
Film Screening of Cinematic Jazz of Julie Dash
Question & Answer session to follow screening with Joy Vandervort-Cobb, Associate Professor of African American Theatre and Performance at the College of Charleston
Charleston County Public Library, 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-805-6930

Thursday, September 22, 2011 | 6:00 p.m.
The Color of Music: Drums, Fifes, and Bands in Early Charleston
CCPL archivist and historian Nick Butler will give an illustrated presentation on the history of black militia musicians and the advent of jazz in Charleston
Charleston County Public Library, 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-805-6930

Thursday, September 22, 2011 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Book Discussion of Daughters of the Dust
Dart Branch of the Charleston County Public Library
1067 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-722-7550

Saturday, September 24, 2011 | 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Book Discussion of Daughters of the Dust
Dorchester Regional Library
6325 Dorchester Road, North Charleston, SC 29418
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-552-6466

Sunday, September 25 | 4:00 p.m.

A Gullah Celebration Through Storytelling and Music
Storyteller Sharon Cooper-Murray, the Gullah Lady, and well-known Charleston singer Ann Caldwell will join forces to share the rich history of the Gullah community that thrived on South Carolina’s Sea Islands.
John’s Island Regional Library, 3531 Maybank Highway, John’s Island
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-559-1945

Monday, September 26, 2011 | 6:00 p.m.
Tracing Your African American Roots – Genealogy Workshop
Charleston County Public Library, 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401
South Carolina history Room
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-805-6930

Tuesday, September 27, 2011 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Book Discussion of Daughters of the Dust
St. Andrews Regional Library
1735 N. Woodmere Drive, Charleston, SC 29407
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-766-2546

Thursday, September 29th, 2011 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Book Discussion of Daughters of the Dust
John’s Island Regional Library
3531 Maybank Highway, Charleston, SC 29455
Free and open to the public
Info: 843-559-1945

Additionally, the exhibit Daufuskie Island: A Photographic Essay, a 25th anniversary edition by Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe will be on display at the Main Branch during the month of September.

For more information about the “One Book, Charleston County” project or any of the public programs, please contact the Charleston County Public Library at 843-805-6930 or visit the website at www.ccpl.org.

The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. SC Humanities programs and initiatives are balanced, reflecting sensitivity to the diversity of ideas, encourage open dialogue, demonstrate integrity, and are ethical in operations.